Golf tee or the like



Aug. 21, 1928. 1,681,391

H. c. BRATT GOLF TEE OR THE LIKE Filed June 29, 1927 Patented Aug. 21, 1928.

' UNITED STATES.

may c. 31mm, or erson, OHIO.

com! TEE on THE LIKE.

Application filed June 89,

This invention relates to improvements in golf tees. r

In the accompanying drawings whlch serve for illustrating the invention Fig. l is a view in elevation of the 1mproved tee in one form Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the tee;

Fig. 3 is a view in elevation modified I form;

A Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of Fig. 3;

Figs. 5-6 are diagrammatic views illustrating the curvatures upon which the tees in the respective forms are developed.

The peg type of golf tee has become popular because of its simplicity and convenience, being always ready for use and adaptable under all conditions of the ground for po1sing the ball for the strike-off. Many forms of these simple devices are disclosed in the art but few have been developed with consideration given to highly important features of golf tees as understood by those skilled in the game. T

The patent to Patterson No. 1,609,040, 1ssued November 30, 1926, is here cited as setting forth an example of golf tee of the peg type which may be said to be developed along an exact understanding of the conditions of use, and with appreciation of salient features of tees rightly made for discriminating players who take into consideration every factor that may influence the skill of the player and the result of the game.

The ease and depth of penetration of the tees of the ground, their firmness as seated in the ground, and accuracy for poising the ball, are features of first importance; durability for repeated use, and form which determines the cost of production and price to the user are also important factors which require consideration.

To this end the improved tee as illustrated in Figs. 1-2 is formed integrally of any suitable material, preferably wood, and consists of a head or body portion lextended above the ground as the tee is set, the head being generally round or oval shaped and provided with a. concave recess 2 for seating the ball which is outlined at 3. The stem or peg portion 4 of the tee is formed on a downwardly extended concavical curve being an extension of the curve upon which the lower portion of the head is formed and substantially on the radius of a circle between lines b-d as illustrated in Fig. 3. The extension 5 of the peg of the tee in below line -d is 1927. Serla1yo. 202,207.

v substantially straight, the end 6 being pointed for peneterating the ground.

The round or oval formation of the head sgrves for glving ample body proportions to te tee and greater strength for withstanding the blow as the ball is'struck off, the grad ual taper of the head in opposite directions from its horizontal medial line a is effective for minimizing the tendency of the head to chip or split which is a fault of wood tees which have a more or less sharply defined, or

outwardly under-cut rim at the ball seat. The relatively greater strength 'of the improved tee in this respect is illustrated in the vertical sectional view of the head in Fig. 2, the rim 7 of the seat being cone-shaped in cross section with the apex of the rim well within the plane of the body of the tee, thus effecting fullness of the body and longer grain of the wood which tends to minimize chipping and splitting of the heads.

The improved shape of the head of the tee I is also of material advantage in production, as it permits of making the usual allowance for variations in dimensions in wood turning without materially affecting the approved form of the tees. In wood tees having an undercut or sharply defined, horizontally extended ball seat rim, ordinary variations in wood turning result in production of a large percentage of tees which are under size in the dimensions of the head and unevenly formed as to the ball seat, being thus of inferior quality and accordingly unsatisfactory to the user.

Upon seating the tee illustrated in Figs. 1-2, and to better effect in Fig. 5 as to its lines of construct-ion, in the ground the end of the peg will penetrate the ground easily to an undefined depth illustrated by line c, the sharp outward rise in the curve of the head of the tee then acting to exert pronounced resistance to further penetration, and at the same time by the wedging action of the enlarged portion to press the ground around the peg and to prevent rising movement of the tee by sponging action of the ground when the pressure for seating the tee in the ground is removed.

The tee firmly set in the ground also has greater strength for withstanding the force of the blow as the ball is struck oil, this being due to the relatively short, thick neck of the tee at the ground line, the possibility of breaking at this point being thus minimized.

The modification of the improved tee illustrated in Figs. 3-4 and 6 consists in the shape of the head of the tee which is eonvexo-eonvex as distinguished from the round or oval shaped head described in connection with Figs. 1-2 and 5. The opposite convex surfaces 89 of the head incline inwardly from a medial cylindrical portion 10 of substantial width, the upper inclination resulting in cross sectional cone formation of the ball'seat rim 11, as indicated at 12 in Fig. 6, being substantially the same as the seat formation 7 illustrated in Fig. 5 and serving in like manner to minimize the tendency of the head of the tee to chip and split.

The curve -71. of the modified formation of the tee being substantially longer than the corresponding cure a of the development illustrated in Fig. a longer taper is given to the stem which results in easier penetration of the ground as the tee is set for the strike-off.

From the foregoing detailed description, the novel formation of both forms of the improved tee and the advantages derived therefrom will be apparent to those experienced in playing golf.

Having described my invention, I claim:

A golf tee formed integrally of wood including a head having an annular medial portion, opposite annular faces inclined upward and downward respectivelyand inward from said portion, a concavical seat formed in the upper face for poising a golf ball, and a stem for setting the tee in the ground extended from the lower face, the stem flarin g upwardly and outwardly in a concavical curve and merging into the head.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

HARRY C. BRATT. 

